Device for breaking vials

ABSTRACT

In a device for breaking vials there is provided a sloping plate having a slot and carrying a pivotable file urged by a spring into an inoperative position in which it partially overlaps said slot. The vial is inserted into the slot and slid therealong whereby the vial neck is scored by the resiliently yielding file. The vial head is broken off along the score by pivoting the vial normal to its preceding direction of travel and pressing the vial head against a breaking strip affixed inside said housing adjacent said slot.

United States Patent Seng [ 1 Sept. 19, 1972 [54] DEVICE FOR BREAKING VIALS [72] Inventor: Gunther Seng, Lenzhalde 71, 7, Stuttgart, Germany 221 Filed: April 20, 1911 21 Appl.N0.: 135,736

[52] US. Cl ..225/96.5

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 867,223 10/1941 France ..225/96.5

Primary ExaminerFrank T. Yost Attorney-Edwin E. Greigg [57] ABSTRACT In a device for breaking vials there is provided a sloping plate having a slot and carrying a pivotable file urged by a spring into an inoperative position in which it partially overlaps said slot. The vial is inserted into [51] Int. Cl. ..B26f 3/00 the slot and slid therealong whereby the vial neck is [58] Field of Search ..225/96.5, 96, 94, 93 scored by the resiliently yielding file. The vial head is broken ofi' along the score by pivoting the vial normal [56] References Cited to its preceding direction of travel and pressing the vial head against a breaking strip affixed inside said UNITED STATES PATENTS housing adjacent said slot. 2,488,956 11/1949 Yeskett ..225/96.5 2,655,767 10/1953 Wenner ..225/96.5 6 Claims 5 F'gms 23 7 h 6 i K) I PATENTEDSEP 19 m2 SHEU 2 OF 2 I/I I ri/i? DEVICE FOR BREAKING VIALS This invention relates to a device for breaking vials and is of the type comprising a housing which holds a plate provided with a slot for a loose guidance of the I vial neck and a file partially overlapping said slot.

Known devices of the aforenoted type have several disadvantages. In one structure, the vial is inserted into a horizontally extending slot carrying a file in the lower boundary of its length. By displacing the vial to the other end of the slot, it is scored and thereafter broken downwardly. To permit the vial neck to be broken along the score, the vial has to be first turned 180 about its longitudinal axis. Nevertheless, the breaking operation will result in splinters and further, its preceding horizontal position and then its sudden downward turn may cause part of its contents to spill.

In another known structure, a cutting device is combined with a striking mechanism. The latter is formed basically of a lever bar and a spring which has to be tensioned prior to each breaking operation. Such a device is relatively complex and complicated to operate and besides,-a correct, impact-like removal of the vial head depends upon the magnitude of the spring force which may be weakened by corrosion, in which case the vial may not break at all. If, on the other hand, the spring force is too large, a crushing of the vial head may occur instead of its removal along the scored line. A matching of the spring force with the dimension and strength of the vial head or neck is not possible in this device.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved device for breaking vials wherein the aforenoted disadvantages are eliminated.

Briefly stated, according to the invention, the slotted plate, as part of the housing, slopes downwardly towards the inside of the housing and its inner side carries the pivotal shaft of a file holder and a spring adapted to move the file over the slot.

The invention will be better understood, as well as further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent, from the ensuing detailed specification of a preferred, although exemplary, embodiment taken in conjunction with the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a sectional side elevational viewof the same embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of one part of the same embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line lV-IV of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional rear elevational view of the same embodiment.

Turning now to FIG. 1, there is shown a housing 1 having a front wall 2, the lower portion of which is formed as a plate 3 slopping downward in the direction of the inner space of the housing. A neck portion 4 (FIGS. 2 and 5) of the downwardly open housing serves for receiving a waste collector box 5 which is inserted over the neck 4 and which is held by the cooperation of complemental protrusions or embossments 6 and 7 provided on the neck 4 and on the box 5, respectively.

The device may be secured to a vertical wall or the like by means of pierced flange plates 8.

The plate 3 is provided with a slot 10 which continues in the vertical frontal wall 2 of the housing as a vertical slot 11. The inner end of the slot 10 terminates in an enlargement 12. As particularly well seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, to the inner face of the plate 3 there is secured a file holder 13 to which there is affixed a file 14. A screw 15 passing through the plate 3 serves as a pivotal pin for the file holder 13. A wire spring 16, which is looped around a pin 17, urges the file holder 13 into its normal, inoperative position in which the file 14 partially overlaps the slot 10. To the inner face of the plate 3, along the slot 10 at its side opposite from the file 14, there is affixed a guiding strip 18 having a frontal edge 19 which extends coplanar with the file l4 and which projects slightly over the edge 20 of the slot 10. As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, to the inside of the side wall 21 of the housing 1 there is affixed a breaking strip 22 extending parallel spaced from the plate 3.

For operating the vial breaking device, the vial 23 shown in dash-dot lines in FIGS. 2-4) is inserted in an upright position through the vertical slot 11 in such a manner that the vial neck 24 is disposed approximately coplanar with the slot 10. As the vial 23 is pushed along the slot 10 away from the slot 11, it slides simultaneously along the frontal edge 19 of the guiding strip 18 and along the file 14 which yields and pivots about the pin 15 against the force of spring 16. During this operation, the vial neck 24 is scored by the file 14. Subsequently, the vial head 25 is, without any particular effort, pressed against the breaking strip 22 by pivoting the via] 23 about the edge 19 of guiding strip 18 as a fulcrum. Supported by a leverage effect between the slot edge and the breaking strip, the head 25 breaks off easily along the score on the neck 24. Thereafter, the vial head 25 slides by gravity on the inside of plate 3 and drops into the waste box 5 which may be emptied from time to time by simply pulling it off the neck 4 of the housing 1.

If for any reason the file l4 fails to operate, the unopened vial is simply moved to the enlargement 12 and then removed from the device downwardly without causing any damage.

The vial breaking device according to the invention has the inherent particular advantages that there is no danger of splintering of the vial material or spilling of the contents; the force necessary for breaking the vial is minimal; and further, the device is constructed in such a manner that the opening of the vial may be perform ed with a single hand.

That which is claimed is:

l. A device for breaking vials comprising A. wall means defining a housing having an inner space,

B. a plate forming part of said wall means and sloping downwardly towards said inner space,

C. a slot provided in said plate for the loose guidance of a neck portion of said vial,

D. a file,

E. a file holder carrying said file,

F. a pivot pin pivotally securing said file holder to said plate in said inner space and G. a spring secured to said plate in said inner space and urging said file to assume an overlapping position with respect to said slot.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, including a breaking strip fixedly held in said inner space at a distance from and parallel to said plate for laterally engaging a head portion of said vial disposed in said slot.

ing includes a downwardly open neck portion; said device further includes a waste box removably fitted over said neck portion.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, including flange plate means integral with said wall means for securing said device to a surface.

it ii 1 

1. A device for breaking vials comprising A. wall means defining a housing having an inner space, B. a plate forming part of said wall means and sloping downwardly towards said inner space, C. a slot provided in said plate for the loose guidance of a neck portion of said vial, D. a file, E. a file holder carrying said file, F. a pivot pin pivotally securing said file holder to said plate in said inner space and G. a spring secured to said plate in said inner space and urging said file to assume an overlapping position with respect to said slot.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1, including a breaking strip fixedly held in said inner space at a distance from and parallel to said plate for laterally engaging a head portion of said vial disposed in said slot.
 3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said slot, at its lower end, terminates in an enlargement.
 4. A device as defined in claim 1, including a guiding strip affixed to said plate in said inner space along a longitudinal edge of said slot; said guiding strip projects over said longitudinal edge and is provided with an edge contained in the plane of motion of said file.
 5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a downwArdly open neck portion; said device further includes a waste box removably fitted over said neck portion.
 6. A device as defined in claim 1, including flange plate means integral with said wall means for securing said device to a surface. 